CISC Director Dr. William Solecki is one of the featured speakers on The Climate Reality Project's 24 Hours of Reality, produced by Al Gore.  More information, from the Climate Reality Project website:

"WHAT IS 24 HOURS OF REALITY?

24 Presenters. 24 Time Zones. 13 Languages. 1 Message. 24 Hours of Reality is a worldwide event to broadcast the reality of the climate crisis. It will consist of a new multimedia presentation created by Al Gore and delivered once per hour for 24 hours, representing every time zone around the globe. Each hour people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events — including floods, droughts and storms — and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time. The deniers may have millions of dollars to spend, but we have a powerful advantage. We have reality.

WHEN IS 24 HOURS OF REALITY?

24 Hours of Reality will be broadcast live online from September 14 to 15, over 24 hours, representing 24 time zones and 13 languages.

WHERE IS 24 HOURS OF REALITY?

From Tonga to Cape Verde, Mexico City to Alaska, Jakarta to London, people living with the impacts of climate change every day will tell their story. You can experience as much as you like without even leaving your home. Click here to find the location — or locations — where you would like to watch a presentation. Due to logistical considerations, three of the presentations will be broadcast remotely from New York — Tonga, the Solomon Islands and French Polynesia — but will include local footage and information. All other presentations will be filmed on location around the world."

Jamaica Bay Research Internships: Fall Semester 2011

About CISC:

The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities (CISC) was founded in 2006 on the belief that, in moving cities toward sustainable practices, we will ensure that they continue as vibrant cultural, economic and residential centers.  We believe that participation is essential to sustainable urban development. An important component of our mission is to educate, engage, and empower our communities with the knowledge they need to contribute to the creation of a sustainable cityscape.

About the Jamaica Bay Research Initiative:

CISC has developed the Jamaica Bay Research Initiative as a collaboration between natural and social scientists and engineers to study Jamaica Bay and its role as a critical environmental resource for a sustainable New York City. As part of its Fall Semester work, CISC is seeking to fill 4 internship positions focused on different aspects of Jamaica Bay research.

Internship Description:

CISC is seeking interns to work on the following research projects related to Jamaica Bay:

1. Ecological History of Jamaica Bay – conduct research to gather primary data from archives, diaries, survey entries, and other first-hand accounts of the environmental transformation of the Bay from the period of European contact to present.
2. Public Transportation Access to Jamaica Bay – conduct research to assess where and how local residents and day-users of the Bay gain access to the water’s edge and to the water itself; utilize access metrics within the PlaNYC planning efforts and elsewhere to identify access deficit sites. Please Note: GIS experience required.
3. Cultural/Recreational Use of Jamaica Bay Assessment – conduct research to inventory and document current cultural and recreational uses of Jamaica Bay including fishing, boating, birding, hiking/walking, etc. as well as cultural uses for religious and community functions.
4. Climate Extreme Events Assessment – conduct research to inventory, document and assess the conditions and impact of past climate extremes on the Bay and its watershed.  Climate extremes include coastal flooding and storm surge, inland flooding and precipitation events, and extended droughts.

The report resulting from each of these projects will be posted on the CISC website and may be submitted for journal publication.   The intern can expect to gain research experience and to form connections within New York City's environmental management and urban planning community. Interns will work with CISC faculty and staff and connect with ongoing Jamaica Bay restoration efforts.  Interns are expected to work 8-15 hours per week, with some flexibility, and may work at the CISC office, their home institution, city offices or field sites on Jamaica Bay.  This internship is unpaid, although CISC staff can help the intern arrange to receive college credit for their work.  Travel to Jamaica Bay for field visits will be reimbursed.

Requirements:

The applicant must have a high level of professionalism, as they will be representing the Institute to community and university partners.  An ability to work both independently and as part of a team, comfort interacting with a diverse range of individuals, proficiency in basic word processing systems and excellent oral and written communication skills are essential.   Familiarity with spreadsheet analysis, GIS or other mapping software, SPSS or other statistical analysis software, and Adobe Suite are also a plus, and required in some cases. The Jamaica Bay internship is ideal for a student enrolled in a program focusing on environmental science, urban sustainability, geography, urban affairs, urban planning, or social research.  However, there is no specific degree requirement for this position.

Application:

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter addressed to Bernice Rosenzweig at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Applications will be reviewed upon receipt; the deadline for submissions will be Thursday, September 21st. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Please use Jamaica Bay Internship as the subject for your application e-mail.

Please contact us if you have any questions.